Rotten Trees: Racism and Bad Apples in American Policing: Key Takeaways from Dr. Rashawn Ray’s Lecture

Introduction

In this lecture, Dr. Rashawn Ray examines systemic racism in American policing and how technology, activism, and data can drive reform. Drawing on extensive research from The Lab for Applied Social Science Research, Dr. Ray explores how social media and virtual reality tools can both reveal and address disparities in law enforcement practices.

Key Insights

• Social Media and Activism: Social media helped to drive Black Lives Matter into becoming a revolutionary movement because it transformed how activists communicate with the public.
• Tracking Knowledge and Awareness: Social media analysis allows us to track knowledge about policing incidents and the popularity of activists and slogans.
• Leveraging Technology for Training: Virtual reality technology can be leveraged to reduce bias in policing by improving training for law enforcement.